Translucent objects decorated with designs or images



the amount of flux. ing methods are limited to the thickness of thecoloring medium and flux which can be deposited. Furthermore,

'Another'j'objctiof the venton s I "design or 'image in fine line detailand subtletonl gradu-` United States v TRANSLUCENT OBJECTS DECORATEDWITH DESIGNS OR IMAGES Alexander E. Charlton, Cincinnati, Ohio, assgnorto ?hotoceramics, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio FiledMar. 6, 1953, Ser. No. 340325 1 Clain. (Cl. 96-34) therein, moreespecially ifeither is covered with an overlay of glaze or otherprotective material, and applied to a transparent object with a coloredbackground.

Heretofore, photographically applied designs or images on transparent ortranslucent products have been reproduced, but with `the objectionableresult that light will shine through the images or designs and they arenot sufliciently opaque to be of the same brightness and intensity aswhen viewed against an opaque background. Furthermore, the pigments inthe light sensitive material '7 in which the designs or images areformedcontain a large amount of flux combined therewith which, of course,correspondingly dilutes the efiectiveness ot 'the pigment. Some of theglass Vitrifiable coloring material often times contains as much asninety (90%) percent flux and as' When, therefore,`

little as ten percent pigment. such coloring material is used inphotographic decora tion, the amount of the actual coloring material orpigment contained therein is very small in proporton to Then, too,photographic decoratsome light sensitive materials, particularly 'thosecontaining metallic salts as a sensitizing agent, have an adverse etfectupon some coloring oxides and thus greatly impair the effectiveness ofthe coloring material because of the small proportion of coloringpigment present in respect to the flux. This objection is avoided hereby reducing the proportion of the flux, or eliminating it altogether, inthe light sensitive material so that substantially all of the coloringmatter Will be composed of i the coloring pigment with little, if anyflux.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention isininterposing an opaque background layer between a transparent ortranslucent object to be decorated and the decorative design appliedthereon and having'lttle,

if any flux in the coloring material used in the .design.

Another object of the invention is to utilize amardmum amount ofcoloring pigment in the light, sensitive material in Whichthe design orimage is formed.

v Another object of the invention isto overlay the design or image withaprotectve flux material rather than ini jcorporating theflux with thepigment..

The inatent O ment after firing.

embodiments of my invention are illustrated in the draw:

ings, forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig; 1 is a cross-sectional View of one embodiment of the inventionbefore firing. I

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the embodiment after firing.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectonal view of a second embodiment of the inventionbefore firing.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of ment after firing. r A

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a third embodiment of the invention beforefiring.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional viewof the third embodiment after firing.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the inventionbefore firing.

Fig. 8 is `a cross-sectional view of the fourth embodithe second embodi-Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of 'a fifth embodiment before firing.

Fig; 10 is a cross-sectional view of the fifth embodiment after firing.

In photographic designs on objects to be decorated, it

- will be ,appreciated thatto reproduce the designs in the fine linedetail necessary, the light sensitive coloring material inwhich they arereproduced must be in very thin inch. However, on transparent layers orfilms, prefe'rably of a thickness of .001 to .0 03 or translucentobjects this permits the light to shinethrough the designs and dim theirbrightness and intensity. Then, too,the pigment or coloring component ofthe coloring material contains a large amount of flux, more often apreponderant proportion,' so that' the color efiectiveness of somecolors thereof is materially reduced by reaction between-the pigment andsome light sensitive materials, more particularly that caused bymetallic salts, usually contained in some light sensitive materials,upon the oxides in some coloring materials.- I t The aim of thepresentjinventior is to' provide' a colored background on one side ofthe design and a transparent or translucent foreground on the other'sidethrough which the design is visible. Then, too, the coloring matter inthe light sensitive material is` substantially free from fiux so that amaximum amount of colored material will be in the design, therebyrendering said in formingthe with. 'mafies isa design brighter and* moreintense than if diluted with fluX.

'If any protection is required for the designs, they are' overlaid 'witha flurl( or" glaze after being applied rather thanlbeing'inc or'poratedwithin the coloringmaterial.

Referring 'specifically 'to the drawings ir' which like numerals areusecl'to designate like parts, numeral 3 is an object to be decorated,such as glass, china, ea'rthenware,

porcelain-enamel or metal, more particularly transparent 2 (Figs. to 4)isapplied to aselected coloring i .oxides, with i ..flu :m x iih 'softglass ground to a very fine mesh pigment material and uX'without'limitation as to the particular pigment material or ,to *theux, or to their proportions. The'proportion of the ux to the pigment orcoloring matter, and-the type of fiux, vary considerably, depending uponthe article to be decorated and the firing temperature .towhich it is tobe'subjected. The ux should be of a nature to assistin the developmentof the color used and be of a character suitable to ,the purposes forwhich the decorated object is used. It should resist abrasion andChemical reaction With materials with which the decorated object 'may becontacted, such as cleaning and sterilizing materials. Then, too, thefluX should ;have the same therrnal expansion 'characteristics as thematerial or object on which it is fired.

A photographic design 4 is reproduced in light sensitive material in anyconventional manner, or vpreferably by the method of my applicationSerial No. 162,754 which is incorporated heren by reference and treliedupon in ullas a part of the disclosure for photographically decoratingthe objects. All of the portions of the light sensitive coating, exceptthat in which the design is tormed, are removed, leaving only the design4 as shown in the drawing. While design 4 is referred to as aphotographc design, it will be understood that it maybe applied in any iother manner, such as rubber stamping, transfers and the like.

The design applied by the method of my application is particularlysuitable, since it is formed in two separately applied light sensitivelayers, the first applied layer being' free of the pigment and thesecond applied layer containing pigment. consequently, the design isbrighter and more intense, as well asbeing sharper. and in finer detaili than conventionally .applied designs as there will be no objectionableshaded background.

The decorated design or image is overlaid with a transparent fusibleflux layer 5, free of pigment, this serving `as a protective layer bothfor the design and the colored background. 'The colored background layer2 may be somewhat greater in area than the area of the design or image(Figs. l and 2), particularly ir" said colored background containssuificient fiux to cover and protect the coloring pigments therein, butif the colored background tmaterials substantially free from flux as isthe coloring material in the design, the superimposed layer is ofgreater area than the colored background 2, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 tocompletely cover the design and the background layer. V EXcept forthisdiference as to the areas of the protective overlay layer and thebackground in respect toeach other, the embodiments in Figs. lto 4 arethe same.

In the embodiment of Figs. 5 and e, the design 4 is applied directly tothe transparent or translucent base 3,

'with the colored layer 2 overlying the design or image 4.

In this embodiment, `the desigrnor thernaterial forming same, may befree from flux since it is protected between the base' 3 and theoverlying colored layer. HoweVer,

sutficient flux is contained in the overlay layer to protect the designand also the pigment in said overlying colored layer,'and if therebernany flux in the design it will, fuse with that in the overlay layer.Or the design'and colored layer can both be free of fiux with atransparent protective layer of fluxas an overlay, as in Figs. l to 4.

The'embodiment in Figs, 7 and ,8 is the same as the! A. 2 and the design4 to inprson the pigments thereof and protect them.

The embodiment of Figs. 9 and 10 discloses the design 4 applied directlyto the surface of transparent or translucent object 3 and said design isoverlaid with the transparent layer 5, there being-no coloredbackground, such as shown in Figs. 1 to 8. This embodiment particularlypertains to designs utilizing pigments of intense coloring properties!and which retain such properties after being fired, it being understoodthat some pigments which are inherently intense are unstable in the ringoperation so as to lose some of their inherent color intensity.

Figs. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 show the various embodiments as they aremanufactured and prepared' prior to 'firng, whereas Figs. 2, 4, 6, 8 and10 show the respective embodiments after they have been fired. Thesuperimposed layers 'will flow to someextent, and the design will, whensuperimposed on the background layer (Figs. 1 to 8), slightly settleitself to be partially embedded within the colored background.

It will be understood that any carrier or binding medium for the coloingmaterial, in addition to or in lieu of flux will be of such anature asto burn out and leave no residue when the prepared decorated object isfiredat a temperature to melt the protective flux layer or the fluxeddesign and/ or colored background.

in the embodiments of Figs. 1 to 4, the design is'laid down on the:colored background, and will be visible through the transparentoverlaid glaze 5, the ,colored background being interposed between thetransparent or translucent object 3 .and the -superimposed design 4 'andoverlay 5. So, too, will the embodiment inFgs. 7 and 8 be visible fromthe top above the .colored background on which it is formed.

In the embodiment of Figs. 5 and 6, the design is visible from thebottom through the transparent or translucent` object ,which isdecorated, it being overlaid -with the colored background, :whereas in`theembodiment of Figs. `9 ,and lOvthedesign is visible fromeither side.

However, in all of the. embodiments, thedesign is .made fromcoloredmaterial having amaximunramount of pigment therein .s'o that itwill be of maximum bright- A ness andintensity, .there being only asmall amount of vchangeably r'ferring broadly to objects which aretransparent or translucent.` i g v While the roregoing has beendescribed particularly 'in reference to fi1'eable:fusible layers inwhich the desgnsare found, it willbe understood that the invention isalso applicable to `layers-which need not be fired for fusion; purposesbut` simply heated sufficiently to set. or

v harden them. Accordingly, the background layer for the embodimentinFigs. 1 to 4, except thatthe superimposed overlying transparent glaze5has been omitted, sufficient flux being, containedwithin the coloredbackground layer design *or the protective layer Overthe design,`or'both,

could be formed of such materials as transparent or opaque plastics ofwhich Organic silicon oxidepolymers are representative. v v

I am aware that there may be various changes in detailsof Construction;and composition without ,departing trom the spirit of my' invention,and, therefore, Iclaim my invention broadly as indicated bytheappendedclaim. V, Having thus described my invention, what I claim as 'new :anduseful, and desire .to secure by U.S.` Letters 'l atent,` is:

,pignented lightsensitizedlayer superimposed on a non =p gmentetbrnablelight sensitized layer' appliedto the' References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Salvy Jan. 20, 1880 6 Hughes Nov. 1,1927 Schulz Feb. 21, 1933 Matthes Sept. 24, 1940 Schlegel Dec. 31, 1940Sheetz Feb. 23, 1943 Staehle June 7, 1949 Minsk et al. Ian. 24, 1956

